Batteries are typically installed into a vehicle using a vertical “drop-in” method wherein the battery is lowered directly into a fixed battery mount and clamped into position. However, engine compartments are becoming increasingly crowded in new vehicle designs, driving a need for the final set position of the battery to be at least partially underneath other components within the engine compartment in order to maintain desired clearances between the battery and other objects. Such positioning cannot accommodate vertical drop-in installation or replacement of the battery. Consequently, it is necessary to maneuver the battery both vertically and laterally.
Others have attempted to facilitate installation of a battery into a constricted space within a vehicle. For example, vehicle battery mounts that are pivotable between an installed position and a service position have been devised, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,480,710 to Hansen and U.S. Pat. No. 4,013,136 to Fear. In addition, battery mounts that are slidable on tracks or guides have been attempted, as in U.S. Pat. No. 5,760,569 to Chase, Jr., U.S. Pat. No. 3,989,118 to Hansen and U.S. Pat. No. 1,993,893 to Page, Jr. However, none of the current movable battery mounts facilitate vertical drop-in mounting of a battery that is ultimately located at least partially underneath structural components of the vehicle.